Glhnkk the Plpk came to Earth in search of refuge. He had
committed an, er, indiscretion. He had fondled the daughter of the Prnk
of the Crbb abdominally with one of his arms. Although among the Plpk
this was an act of friendly greeting, almost equivalent to a kiss on the
cheek, it was an appalling insult where the Crbb people were concerned.
The Prnk, vowing to hang Glhnkk by his intestines, himself led an
entire squadron of his murderatrons to capture him in order to keep his
promise.
Glhnkk chose Earth for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that he looked enough like a member of the most intelligent species on the planet to be able to pass any but detailed scrutiny. He came down and emerged from his bubble spaceship, which promptly dispersed in the thick warm moist atmosphere and vanished.
Glhnkk quickly adapted to his new society, finding a home and food and friends. He knew the Crbb would come seeking him, but hoped it would take a good long time and even then they could never find him. And because like all his people he had a gift for disguising his appearance, it seemed everything would go well.
But then one day a huge metal scoop came smashing down towards Glhnkk while he was sitting outside his dwelling, and swept him up and dropped him into a place of enclosing walls and darkness and stink and almost nothing to breathe. He gasped for oxygen and was about to pass out. His vision began to grey out. He wondered briefly, squirting fluid down himself in his fear all the while, how the Crbb had tracked him down. He wondered what strange and terrible weapon they were using now. And any moment he expected to feel the slicing pain of their blades digging into his abdomen to hook out his intestines.
But then there was suddenly light again and loud rhythmical noises and in a little while, before Glhnkk was quite dead, he was dropped back into the warmth and there was suddenly plenty of oxygen to breathe. He stretched out his arms and opened his eyes as the blood rushed oxygen back into his tissues. He was too happy, too relieved, for a moment to think what was happening. He almost felt like dancing.
"Look at that big octopus," the aquarium director said. "It's so happy to be back in the water."
"It almost looks like it's dancing," said his secretary, and both the humans smiled.
Copyright B Purkayastha 2008
Glhnkk chose Earth for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that he looked enough like a member of the most intelligent species on the planet to be able to pass any but detailed scrutiny. He came down and emerged from his bubble spaceship, which promptly dispersed in the thick warm moist atmosphere and vanished.
Glhnkk quickly adapted to his new society, finding a home and food and friends. He knew the Crbb would come seeking him, but hoped it would take a good long time and even then they could never find him. And because like all his people he had a gift for disguising his appearance, it seemed everything would go well.
But then one day a huge metal scoop came smashing down towards Glhnkk while he was sitting outside his dwelling, and swept him up and dropped him into a place of enclosing walls and darkness and stink and almost nothing to breathe. He gasped for oxygen and was about to pass out. His vision began to grey out. He wondered briefly, squirting fluid down himself in his fear all the while, how the Crbb had tracked him down. He wondered what strange and terrible weapon they were using now. And any moment he expected to feel the slicing pain of their blades digging into his abdomen to hook out his intestines.
But then there was suddenly light again and loud rhythmical noises and in a little while, before Glhnkk was quite dead, he was dropped back into the warmth and there was suddenly plenty of oxygen to breathe. He stretched out his arms and opened his eyes as the blood rushed oxygen back into his tissues. He was too happy, too relieved, for a moment to think what was happening. He almost felt like dancing.
"Look at that big octopus," the aquarium director said. "It's so happy to be back in the water."
"It almost looks like it's dancing," said his secretary, and both the humans smiled.
Copyright B Purkayastha 2008
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